


La La Love

by jaeminsrenjun



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Canon Related, Fluff, Friendship, Humor, M/M, Romance, Slice of Life, Young Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2019-03-22
Packaged: 2019-05-23 07:49:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 8,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14930177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaeminsrenjun/pseuds/jaeminsrenjun
Summary: A drabble dump for NCT Dream. Tags will be updated as I post!1. up against the wall: Mark gets a little too close to Renjun and Jaemin gets jealous.2. light sleeper: Renjun wakes up at the sound of Jeno's moisturising cream, and Jeno cuddles him back to sleep.3. cheesy pick-up lines: Jaemin is obsessed with terrible pick-up lines. Renjun hates them.4. five minutes: mark wants to time travel, so donghyuck shows him how.5. disgusting: Chenle is utterly grossed out by Jaemin and Renjun. (Or, the aftermath of the Baby Don't Stop reaction Vlive.)6. it's a start: Chenle tries, and maybe Jaemin does too.7. happy: Jaemin indulges in his favourite activity with Renjun.8. salty and sweet: Jaemin cooks for Renjun, and Jisung is the victim.9. it's hyung's birthday: Jeno receives an unexpected birthday present from Chenle.10. orange juice: the tragicomedy: There is a reason why Jaemin and Chenle don't sit together on planes.11. a little piece of infinity: A snapshot of Chenle and Jisung in LA.





	1. up against the wall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark gets a little too close to Renjun and Jaemin gets jealous.

Jaemin overhears Renjun teaching Mark a new Chinese word one day.

"...-dong?" He hears Mark say while walking to his room, before rounding the corner and stopping dead in his tracks, the sight before him shocking him.

Because in front of him, he sees Mark trapping Renjun against the wall, his right arm raised at a perfect 90-degree angle at the same height as Renjun's forehead. He's leaning over too, so, so close to the shorter boy that they’re just inches apart. Renjun looks even smaller than usual and he's laughing, not making eye contact with Mark. Jaemin can tell that he's slightly embarrassed, but not displeased, and he feels a sharp tinge of jealousy twist deep into his heart.

He coughs loudly and Mark steps back hurriedly, almost tripping over his own feet. They both turn to face Jaemin; Renjun rubs the back of his neck sheepishly while Mark has his hands before him, twisting them nervously.

Jaemin simply stares at Renjun and Mark gets the cue to leave. "I'll be going now then. I think Hyuck needs my help with something," he stutters out, before practically dashing away from Jaemin.

"What was that you were teaching Mark-hyung?" Jaemin asks calmly, trying not to betray his inner turmoil.

"Oh, that? It's a Chinese word. 壁咚 (bì dōng)."

"Can you show me?"

Maybe it's the way Jaemin asks Renjun that, more of a demand than a request, which makes the latter look up and into Jaemin's eyes. Renjun thinks those eyes are perhaps the most powerful things in the world – they can be as peaceful as a lake one minute and the next, they're raging like the sea during a thunderstorm. Just like now, when Jaemin’s eyes tell Renjun what he doesn’t show on his collected façade – he’s angry.

Slightly intimidated, Renjun tries to play it cool. “Right, it’s like this.” He holds Jaemin’s wrist and turns him around so that Jaemin is leaning against the wall. Only when Renjun is about to put his hand up does he realise the slight awkwardness of their position – from this angle, Jaemin towers above him and he has to tilt his head upwards to look into his eyes. Nonetheless, Renjun still stretches out his right arm and puts it against the wall beside Jaemin’s ear, and stares into his eyes.

“壁咚,” he says, voice barely above a whisper because Jaemin is smirking at him with that _look_ on his face which Renjun just knows means trouble. He kind of wants to walk away and to end whatever this is before it’s too late but for some reason, his legs remain rooted to the spot.

“Let me try,” Jaemin says, only his voice is an octave lower than normal and Renjun thinks he might just melt into a puddle on the floor if Jaemin keeps speaking like that. Before Renjun can register what’s happening, Jaemin grabs his extended arm and suddenly he and Jaemin have switched places – he’s pinned against the wall with Jaemin staring down at him, the smirk on the latter’s face even bigger now as both his arms bracket Renjun. The older gulps, knowing he has no way to escape.

“壁咚,” Jaemin whispers. He reaches down with his left hand to gently tilt Renjun’s chin up, before leaning in. Renjun watches as Jaemin’s face moves closer and closer until he can see nothing else but the storminess in those eyes, before his own eyes flutter shut.

He feels the softest press of a pair of warm lips against his own. It starts off gently, Jaemin’s lips moving against his own slowly while his hand caresses his cheek, like they have all the time in the world. Renjun relaxes the muscles he didn’t know he’d been tensing, and returns the kiss equally gently. Then all of a sudden, Jaemin kisses him harder, more insistently, nudging his mouth open with his tongue. Renjun feels like he might collapse, his last breath stolen away as his arms come up to encircle Jaemin’s neck tightly.

Eventually Jaemin pulls back, leaving Renjun in a daze, lips still parted and now slightly swollen and redder than ever. Unlike before, Jaemin’s eyes are twinkling.

“What… was that?” Renjun murmurs, as his cheeks flush red.

Jaemin smiles tenderly and gazes at the boy before him like he’s the entire universe, hands moving down to hold his waist. “I just wanted an excuse to kiss you,” he confesses.

“Nerd,” Renjun huffs, but he can't hide the grin spreading across his face, and buries his head in the crook of Jaemin’s neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello it's your favourite (?) renmin author back again with a drabble this time. this will be a drabble dump for me as and when i feel inspired so do subscribe if you wish to read more of such nonsense uwu i got inspiration for this when i remembered how renjun taught mark this word back in 2016 and thought wow wouldn't it be amazing if jaemin did the kabedon to renjun instead hahaha. i'm currently also working on another fic, it's a high school renmin au (fluff + slight angst) so look forward to it!! :)
> 
> p.s. i LOVE comments so please take time to write a little something and i'll love you forever <3
> 
> p.p.s. as always, if you want to be friends just talk to me on twitter [@jaeminsrenjun](http://twitter.com/jaeminsrenjun), or [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/jaeminsrenjun) that's all thank you for dropping by!! \o/


	2. light sleeper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Renjun wakes up at the sound of Jeno's moisturising cream, and Jeno cuddles him back to sleep.

Jeno turns over and cracks open an eye. Renjun is still asleep in the bed beside his, so he has to be extremely careful not to wake him up – he literally wakes up at the slightest sound or movement. Rubbing his eyelids to get the sleep out of them, Jeno checks the clock next to his bed – it reads 7 am, meaning he’s awake 2 hours before they need to leave. There’s ample time for him to wash up, make some breakfast, and maybe play a game or two on the Playstation.

He pushes himself up and out of bed, taking care to minimise the sounds that he makes. As he pads out of the room, he hears Renjun stir. Panicking, he stops dead in his tracks and slowly turns around, but Renjun is fast asleep again. Quietly heaving a sigh of relief, he continues heading towards the toilet, where he brushes his teeth and washes his face mechanically. After he dries his face with a towel, he walks back to his room, and is relieved to see that Renjun is still sleeping soundly.

Jeno secretly loves it when he wakes up earlier than Renjun. The older sleeps on his side, and Jeno likes to observe his side profile – his cute ear, his full lips, his mussed hair, his eyelashes – Renjun is pretty even when he sleeps. Jeno treasures these sacred moments when he can gaze at Renjun while he’s at his most peaceful state – relaxed, calm, body moving slightly along with the constant rhythm of his breathing.

_In. Out. In. Out._

It’s hypnotic.

It takes a little longer than usual for Jeno to snap out of his reverie. Momentarily forgetting what he’s about to do, Jeno mutters under his breath, trying to remember the next step in his morning routine.

_Right! Moisturising cream._

He pads over to the dressing table where his skincare products are kept, and reaches for the moisturising cream. He doesn’t even remember what brand it is and only uses it because Renjun swears by it. Of course, Jeno swears by Renjun’s good taste, so he uses it too.

He uncaps the jar and scoops a small amount on his finger before applying it on his face, rubbing it all over and making sure to get it in the crevices. As he’s using both hands to pat the cream in, he hears a sleepy voice sound out behind him, “Jeno, what’s the time?”

Jeno turns around to be greeted with the sight of Renjun, not yet fully awake, stretching his arms above his head. He looks so adorable with his half-lidded eyes and mussed hair that Jeno wants to go over and cuddle him. Which, on second thought, he just might.

“It’s 7.15. Still early,” Jeno answers, looking at Renjun lovingly. Renjun just nods wordlessly.

“I’m sorry, did I wake you up?” Jeno whispers, walking over and giving Renjun a little peck on his lips, before lying down beside him. Renjun turns a wonderful shade of pink.

“Yeah, you did. The sound of you applying face cream was surprisingly loud,” Renjun murmurs, wrinkling his nose a little. He looks amused, and Jeno’s heart races, a warm sensation spreading throughout his body to the very tips of his toes. It’s unbelievable how much deeper in love he falls with Renjun every single day.

“Shh, go back to sleep. I’ll wake you up a little later.” Jeno adjusts himself so that he’s cuddling Renjun, wrapping an arm across his side. He inches ever closer so that they’re perfectly spooning, Renjun’s back pressed tightly against his chest, and nuzzles against his neck. Renjun’s skin is warm and soft as Jeno rubs little circles on his arms. The older boy sighs dreamily, and Jeno feels like he’s hugging a cloud.

“Okay…” Renjun replies, already drifting back to sleep. Jeno continues to hold him until his breath evens out again, and then checks to make sure that he is asleep. He cracks a small smile when he sees Renjun’s eyes closed, deep in slumber.

Jeno brushes a stray lock of hair away from the older’s eyes and leans down to give him a peck on the ear, before lying down again and holding him even tighter.

Breakfast can wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uHhhH i'm posting way too frequently but i can't help it bc feels <3 it's noren this time, surprise surprise, i'm actually capable of writing a ship other than renmin uwu anyway this was inspired by the time jeno said that renjun is such a light sleeper that he even wakes up when jeno applies cream on his face, literally how soft is that ;__;
> 
> as always, please leave a comment or two if you enjoyed it! and i really want to make new friends so talk to me on twitter @jaeminsrenjun if you want! :) thank you for reading <3


	3. cheesy pick-up lines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaemin is obsessed with terrible pick-up lines. Renjun hates them.

Renjun didn’t know what had recently come over Jaemin for him to be obsessed with pick-up lines. Maybe it was the lack of schedules getting to his head, or maybe he decided that he wanted to be even more disgustingly flirty than he already was – who knew? The problem was, for the past few days, Jaemin would amass a collection of pick-up lines daily and then test them one by one on Renjun, in the hopes of eliciting a reaction out of him.

Not classy ones either. They were, quite literally, the cheesiest pick-up lines Renjun had ever heard – and Renjun had heard some pretty cringeworthy ones from Sicheng – and he had no qualms letting Jaemin know it. But Jaemin was persistent to a fault. He never faltered, never wavered, and always came back the next day armed with even worse pick-up lines. Renjun wondered what he ever did in his past life to deserve that torture.

So when Renjun saw Jaemin approach him with that shit-eating grin plastered on his face, he let out a heavy sigh, already foreseeing what was coming and resigning himself to the worst.

“What now?” he muttered to no one in particular, wondering what sort of terrible pick-up lines Jaemin had up his sleeve this time.

“Hey, did it hurt?” Jaemin said in his suavest voice – which made Renjun shudder as it was an octave lower than usual – as he sat down beside him on the sofa. The cheeky bastard even casually put an arm around him – _the audacity!_

“Did what hurt?” Renjun raised an eyebrow, playing along.

Jaemin’s eyes twinkled as he spoke, “When you fell from heaven.” He even followed it up with a finger gun and a _wink_ , for god’s sake.

Renjun wanted to end him.

“No, but it did when I scraped my knees crawling out from hell,” he smoothly rebutted. Jaemin glanced at Renjun, expression a mixture of admiration and frustration, and Renjun did a mental fist pump. _Renjun one, Jaemin nil._ If Jaemin thought he was going to be defeated that easily, well, he was wrong.

Evidently, Jaemin was prepared – Renjun could see him running through his mental list of pick-up lines before deciding on one. “My name's Jaemin, but you can call me Tonight,” he extended his hand.

In response, Renjun stuck out his hand as if to shake Jaemin’s, but five outstretched fingers suddenly became two as he formed a pair of scissors at the last moment, lightly tapping his fingers on Jaemin’s palm. He smirked. “The name's Renjun, but you should call me Never.”

Jaemin just laughed and shook his head. “You’ve been hanging out with Jisung too much, Injun-ah.”

Renjun simply shrugged. Affronted, Jaemin pulled a face before soldiering on, “If I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd put U and I together.”

“Well I don't need to rearrange the alphabet since N and O are already together,” Renjun retorted without breaking a sweat. This was getting way too easy. He leaned back comfortably against the sofa as he waited for Jaemin’s next move. The latter’s face darkened considerably.

There was a pause before Jaemin’s face lit up again.

“Do you know what this shirt is made out of?” Jaemin pointed at his sleeve.

“What?”

“Boyfriend material!” Jaemin grinned.

Renjun started slow-clapping as he put on the brightest, fakest smile he could muster. “Congratulations! Love is love – I won’t judge you for dating your shirt.”

Jaemin closed his eyes and uttered a long-suffering sigh, face twisted into a pained expression. Renjun was so delighted with himself that he broke out into a momentary smile, one that the younger didn’t miss.

“Oh my god, did the sun come up or did you just smile at me?” Jaemin asked in fake shock, eyes wide open, clutching the front of his shirt.

“Seriously, can you be any lamer?” Renjun grumbled. He didn’t know how Jaemin could continue when he himself already wanted to die of second-hand embarrassment.

“No, because I already broke my leg when I fell for you.” Seizing the opportunity, Jaemin sneaked in yet another cheesy pick-up line. Renjun shot daggers at him and he groaned, raising two hands in surrender.

“Okay fine, I give up – _for now_ ,” Jaemin hastened to add. “I’ll definitely come up with better ones tomorrow, just you wait.”

Renjun had had enough. “Why _me_?” he asked in desperation. “Why do you keep bothering me with these? Why not Jeno? Or Mark-hyung or Donghyuck? Or even Chenle and Jisung?”

Jaemin shook his head, chuckling. “Jeno would just get embarrassed and look away before I even finish and you know Mark-hyung would get so nervous that he’d keep laughing and laughing. Donghyuck would probably whack me upside the head. And I don’t want to scar the young ones with them, that’s just weird.”

Renjun rolled his eyes. _Bullshit._

“And also, most importantly, because I like you best of all,” Jaemin said, suddenly turning to look at him with the softest expression in his eyes. Renjun felt his heart flutter and thought there must be something wrong with him.

He scoffed, pretending to be dismissive, but felt his cheeks heating up against his will.

_Damn it._

Cursing his show of weakness, he let Jaemin pull him into a hug, the latter smiling brighter than a megawatt lamp. “It worked! It worked! I _finally_ got a reaction out of you!” Jaemin sounded triumphant, practically glowing with happiness as he jumped up and down, while Renjun stood limply in his arms, still a pretty shade of pink.

Renjun had to hand it to Jaemin. The best pick-up line turned out to be the cheesiest of them all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey it's me again, with a renmin drabble bc i don't know what else to write :( tell me what pairing you'd like to see next! and do leave comments if you liked it, they are very much appreciated <3 i hope you enjoy this nonsense uwu
> 
> p.s. as always, talk to me on twitter @jaeminsrenjun or curiouscat (jaeminsrenjun) <3


	4. five minutes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mark wants to time travel, so donghyuck shows him how.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> beware, lapslock ahead

"do you know what i'd really like to do?" mark mentions casually when he and donghyuck are together in the living room, slouching on the sofa, not doing anything in particular. donghyuck's laying in mark's lap as mark runs his hand through his soft brown hair. the clock reads 15:02; it's just past 3 o' clock—the time in the afternoon when the sticky afternoon heat makes it perfect for lazing around and doing nothing.

"mm, what, hyung?" donghyuck murmurs. it's a husky voice—the one that mark recognises to mean he's about to fall asleep—and mark chuckles a little.

"i want to time travel." donghyuck blinks a few times at that—it takes him off guard, because it's not like mark to want unrealistic things like that. mark lee is all about practicality and reality and having one’s feet on the ground, and what he just said was so far-fetched that donghyuck begins to wonder if it was really mark at all.

"it's really cool," he continues earnestly, "how in movies they use time machines and whoosh! you get transported centuries into the future."

"hyung, i thought you were more down-to-earth," remarks donghyuck, earning him a light smack on the forehead from mark. it's just like donghyuck to be snarky and annoying at every possible moment, and though sometimes it gets on his nerves, mark admits he largely finds it endearing.

"i am, but a guy can dream, can't he?" mark sighs wistfully. he's stopped combing through donghyuck's hair now; instead, he's staring off into space.

"i think you're a little bit too old for that, hyung." donghyuck gives a sly dig, and mark hits donghyuck again with a "yah! lee donghyuck!" while donghyuck snickers.

“you’re only a year younger, shut up,” mark huffs, crossing his arms. just because he’s born before the year 2000 doesn’t mean there is a generation gap, unlike what donghyuck seems to think.

"but seriously, why do you want to time travel?" donghyuck asks a while later, when they've calmed down and mark is no longer trying to kill him with his death glares. donghyuck is only slightly apologetic, because he knows mark never takes it to heart anyway, which is why he dares to tease him so much in the first place.

"wouldn't it be great to know things before they actually happen? i want to time travel to the future, and see whether nct is still together, whether we're making money, whether i'm doing good as a soloist." the last part of the sentence earns an eye roll from donghyuck. "i've probably grown more handsome. perhaps i already have my very own radio show."

donghyuck winces. "stop! hyung, it's getting more and more ridiculous."

mark laughs, low and sweet. "of course, i was just joking."

they lapse into a comfortable silence once more before donghyuck speaks up. "actually, i know how to time travel. i could show you."

mark snorts incredulously, looking down at donghyuck who has his eyes wide open in an attempt to look innocent. "and you think i'll believe you? you’re definitely up to something, and i’m not willing to find out what it is.”

donghyuck persists, pouting slightly. "seriously, hyung, i know. trust me."

"alright," mark relents at last, partly because of donghyuck's pleas and partly because he's curious—what can that kid be up to? he figures there's probably no harm in finding out. donghyuck gets up, ignoring mark’s whines about the loss of body heat, and then he does what mark least expects—he kisses him.

donghyuck touches his lips to mark’s as he grips the older’s arms. mark makes a small noise of surprise but doesn’t resist, letting donghyuck tease him with his tongue, prying his mouth open, while he whines helplessly. donghyuck tilts his head for better access and feels mark's hands slowly but surely make their way up his back. mark forgets all about time travelling for the time being and lets himself get lost in the moment, enjoying the way donghyuck's touch leaves sparks of fireworks on his skin. he's really getting into it when donghyuck pulls away abruptly, leaving mark tilting his head questioningly.

"see, hyung? five minutes have passed."

the clock reads 15:07.

"yah! lee donghyuck!" mark cries out yet again, not in anger but in exasperation and fondness. donghyuck's eyes crinkle, laughter bubbling up his throat as mark rains blows on him again and again.

(later on, they continue where they left off, and mark has to agree that this method of time travelling is far more appealing than using a time machine.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPDATING BC ARGENTINA ARE THROUGH TO THE NEXT ROUND OF THE WORLD CUP they live to fight another day!!!
> 
> my first markhyuck!! hope y'all enjoy :) please let me know what you think heh uwu
> 
> as always, find me on twitter @jaeminsrenjun or curiouscat (jaeminsrenjun) ;;


	5. disgusting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chenle is utterly grossed out by Jaemin and Renjun. (Or, the aftermath of the Baby Don't Stop reaction Vlive.)

"Disgusting," Chenle spits out, shaking his head. "Absolutely disgusting."

He enters Jisung's room and practically flings himself onto the bed, where the younger is currently seated, playing a game on his phone. Jisung takes a pitiful glance at Chenle before putting his phone aside and scooting towards the edge of the bed to make space for Chenle. Seeing that, the older shifts himself so that his head is comfortably nestled on Jisung's lap, no invitation needed.

"What is it now?" Jisung asks, concern written all over his face. Chenle has his lips pursed and his eyebrows knitted, looking very cross indeed.

"Did you watch the Vlive we did just now?"

"Yeah, I did," Jisung chuckles. "What about it?"

"It was absolutely _horrible_! The worst thing I've ever had to put up with in my past 17 years of existence!" Chenle wails, and it takes Jisung all his self-control to not cover his ears. Despite being around Chenle almost all the time, he's never quite gotten used to how loud the older can be. Now, he's reminded of it in quite a painful fashion.

His eardrums are still recovering from the shock when he registers Chenle's words. "Wait, why? You looked like you were having fun." Chenle's face grows darker.

"Fun? _Fun_?" He yells indignantly, and Jisung flinches. Thankfully, Chenle's too absorbed in his rant to notice. "Being in the vicinity of Jaemin-hyung and Renjun-hyung when they're engaging in public displays of affection is the complete opposite of fun."

"Oh, that," Jisung begins to laugh, but stops abruptly when Chenle shoots him a glare.

"Well, do you find it funny? Huh? You find it amusing that I've had to suffer through, what, half an hour of them being all lovey-dovey and touchy-feely with each other? Right, they’re in love, but they don’t have to be so loud about it. I mean, with the way Renjun-hyung was practically sitting on Jaemin-hyung’s lap, I wanted to end myself right there and then," Chenle huffs, folding his arms across his chest.

Jisung tuts sympathetically, knowing that Chenle doesn't listen to reason when he's mad. Instead, he brings a hand to Chenle's hair and starts carding through the strands, as gentle as can be. This calms him down somewhat, and his chest rises and falls in a steadier rhythm, inhales and exhales gradually becoming deeper.

"I'm just so annoyed," he continues, "they won't even pretend to be subtle. If not for my sake, at least for the fans? No, they had to completely ignore my entire existence like I was an age warning on a restricted website. And did you _see_ how Jaemin-hyung went completely heart-eyed whenever he looked at Renjun-hyung? I was getting goosebumps all over. Gross." He says the last word emphatically, as if to prove a point.

Jisung waits to make sure Chenle has finished his rant, before breaking out into a smile. "You know I would never ignore you," he says, while gazing into Chenle's eyes. "Never."

"I know, that's why I love you," Chenle sighs contentedly. He's still not smiling, not quite yet, but Jisung reckons it won't be long before he does. Chenle never stays angry for long, especially not when Jisung's around.

"As much as the hyungs poke fun at us, at least we have our limits, right?" Chenle says righteously, slipping his hand into Jisung's and interlocking their fingers. "PDA is not our thing, we do have some self-respect," he snorts, snuggling closer towards Jisung's warmth.

"Yeah," Jisung grins, gazing at Chenle with a twinkle in his eye.

Neither of them notice when Donghyuck glances at them as he walks past and frowns, wrinkling his nose.

"Disgusting," he mutters to himself as he saunters into Mark's room and plops down on the older's lap, "absolutely disgusting."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've been dying to write something from chenle's pov after the jaemrenle vlive hahaha i wrote this in like 15 minutes, please let me know if there are any errors!! but anyways, the cute irony of all of them being exactly what they diss the others for HAHA uwu (also my first chensung, yay!)
> 
> p.s. i just posted the first part of in bloom, my latest renmin fic, yesterday! do check it out if you like :)
> 
> p.p.s. i'm on twitter @jaeminsrenjun and my cc is jaeminsrenjun as well, let's be friends! <3


	6. it's a start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chenle tries, and maybe Jaemin does too.

 

"Chenle!"

Chenle's lying on his bed when he hears Jisung call him from a distance. He pauses the video he's watching and glances up from his phone, just in time to see Jisung stroll into his room, munching obnoxiously on a bag of popcorn. His eyes widen when he realises that it's no ordinary popcorn, but a bag of Garrett's. Chenle's favourite. He bolts up immediately and is in front of Jisung in a split second, phone tossed carelessly aside.

"Where'd you get it?" Chenle asks, because if Jisung went to buy it he would've definitely gotten an extra bag for Chenle as well. 

"Jaemin-hyung bought it for me," Jisung says, popping another kernel in his mouth. Chenle thinks he looks like a squirrel with the way his mouth bulges as he chews. It's adorable. "He and Donghyuck-hyung went out shopping today."

"Oh, right, of course," Chenle says, and it's hard to hide the disappointment in his voice and the way his face falls. 

_Jaemin-hyung. Of course._

Jisung, though, doesn't notice. He continues munching on the popcorn, loud crunching noises almost drowning out his next words. 

"Want some?" He picks out a kernel and offers it to Chenle, blinking expectantly at him.

Chenle stares, first at Jisung, then at the popcorn, and - inexplicably, feels like laughing. He waves a careless hand, voice sounding hollow and foreign. "No, it's okay. You have it."

Chenle sees Jisung do a double-take, staring at himself for a fraction of a second longer than normal, and he knows what the other's wondering. Thankfully, Jisung doesn't push it. He simply shrugs and turns, making his way over to his room, undoubtedly to play another round of his favourite soccer game on his phone. "Whatever. Suit yourself."

Moments later, the noises from Jisung's phone and Jisung's laughter rings loud in his ears. Chenle flops back down on his bed, heart weighing a ton in his ribcage.

Between them, it wasn't always like this. During Chewing Gum era, with the way he stuttered Korean phrases and wore a perennial smile on his face, Chenle was loved by everyone, and Jaemin was no exception. How could anyone not, really, when Chenle radiated enough brightness to rival the sun?

Then - it happened. Jaemin hurt his back and went on hiatus, separated from Dream for more than a year. In between schedules, Chenle went with the other members to see him, of course - but they were always rushed visits that began with  _how are you_ s and ended with  _we'll see you again_ s. 

Chenle remembers oh so clearly the first day that Jaemin came back to the Dream dorms. He remembers being excited, nervous even, for the return of someone he hadn't seen in a long, long time.

He remembers barrelling into Jaemin as he stepped into their dorm, burying his head in the older's chest and wrapping his arms around him in the tightest hug. He remembers Jaemin bringing a hand up to ruffle his hair and repeating "gwiyeo" over and over again, as laughter bubbled up in his chest.

"Hyung, I missed you," Chenle began to say, but words deserted him as he tried to talk about just how much Jaemin's absence had affected them, affected  _him._ So he settled for closing his arms ever tighter around Jaemin's frame, hoping that somehow, it would be enough.

Chenle can't put his finger on what exactly changed between them. He tries, he really does, but he can't explain why words dry up between them when he attempts to start a conversation, or why every second they're alone together feels like an eternity. It's painfully obvious to him when he rewatches their V-Lives, how naturally he interacts with every other member except Jaemin, who rarely spares him a glance even if they're sitting side by side. 

For Chenle, the worst part is when Jisung mentions to him offhandedly about the things he and Jaemin do together, or the stuff Jaemin gets for him. He's resigned to the fact that he probably will never be as close to Jaemin as Jisung is, but that doesn't stop him from feeling left out.

"You guys went without me again," is a phrase Chenle remembers saying far too often.

He is all too familiar with Jisung's sheepish reply. "Ah, Lele, we forgot. Sorry, you know we didn't mean to."

And they both end up laughing it off, but only Chenle knows how much his heart aches.

Of course, it isn't intentional - it never is - but perhaps that's why it hurts all the more.  

 

 

Chenle finds himself sitting next to Jaemin at the back of the company van one day, as they're on the way back from a Dream schedule. He sneaks a glance at the older, whose eyes are on the road ahead, looking but not seeing. The van rumbles gently as it travels down the roads of Seoul; the other members are all asleep.

A strange compulsion overcomes Chenle, makes him ask, "Hyung, are you - are we okay?" 

The reply comes quick, but not quick enough. "Of course. Why wouldn't we be?"

Chenle turns his head to look at Jaemin, who's still staring straight ahead, face a smooth blanket of impassivity. He's about to say something, but the words die in his throat, disappearing as the van rounds a bend towards their dorm. The centimetres between them feel like oceans. 

Chenle hasn't the heart to make the leap.

 

 

Days later, there's a knock on his room door. Chenle pauses in the middle of what he's doing, looks up, and frowns. Most of the time, the members don't even bother to knock before they fling his door open and saunter in, sometimes even throwing themselves on his bed with complete disregard for personal space. 

"Come in," he says, a lingering question in his mind over the identity of whoever is behind that door.

The door opens and he locks gazes with a pair of brown, almond eyes and - for what seems like an eternity, stops blinking.

"I'm going out with Jisung later to the arcade and the bowling alley, we plan on grabbing lunch somewhere nearby too," Jaemin begins, eyes darting between Chenle's own and the wall behind him; Chenle thinks it's kind of cute, really, the way Jaemin is so flustered. He doesn't blame him - when was the last time they've actually talked like this?

He honestly can't remember.

"Yes, hyung?" Chenle asks, when the silence between them stretches too thin. He hopes Jaemin doesn't see the way he's wringing his hands together behind his back.

"Uh, I was - we were wondering if you wanted to come along," the older blurts, words tumbling out in a rush. 

It takes a while for the offer to sink in; his initial confusion is quickly replaced by pleasant surprise. Chenle breaks out into a small smile; his eyes crescent prettily. "Sure, why not."

It's not much, but for both of them, it's a start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the compulsion to write this came to me while i was being extra emo about jaemle :( those of you who follow me on twitter probably know that they're extra precious to me, and that i treasure interactions between them so much bc they're so rare.
> 
> this fic isn't very well-written and i apologise for that, but i get rly sad when i think about how close jisung is to jaemin and how he probably mentions to chenle quite often about the things they do together, while chenle resigns himself to the fact that they will never be as close. idk if anyone noticed but i found that they were kinda awkward with each other esp in the beginning of the year, but thankfully recently they got closer again. i have a soft spot for them both and i rly hope that in the upcoming comeback, they have more moments together ;;
> 
> most of you probably don't care about this pairing but i would be so grateful if you leave a comment, just knowing that i've made one extra person care about jaemle would mean a lot to me TAT thank you for dropping by :')
> 
> update: aaaa did y'all see the amount of jaemle in today's vlive TAT maybe this drabble and my prayers rly worked, thank you jaemin and chenle ily ily <3


	7. happy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaemin indulges in his favourite activity with Renjun.

It is almost completely dark in Renjun’s room, save for the lonely, flickering candle that sits atop the bedside desk, providing some form of light. Lying on his bed, Renjun is facing the wall with Jaemin pressed up against him, an arm thrown across his chest. Renjun’s more comfortable to hug than he looks – he’s soft despite being skinny, and when Jaemin hugs him it reminds him of hugging one of his gigantic plush toys that he still has on his bed (which have not been thrown under, despite what Jeno believes).

“You know, when you asked me what your favourite activity to do with me was, I panicked,” Renjun murmurs. “I know it’s kissing, but I had to come up with all these other banal activities for cover.” He snuggles closer against Jaemin, feels the solid warmth of his chest against his back. “You’re terrible.”

“Well, but I like all those activities too, y’know,” Jaemin chuckles, his breath dancing on the nape of Renjun’s neck. “And talking in our rooms ‘with the lights off and in a relaxed ambience’ is close enough.”

Renjun wants to give Jaemin a smack – he knows the latter is laughing at the way he described the times they spend in each other’s rooms, which are way more frequent than they probably should. But he’s not facing Jaemin and it’s a bit hard to angle his arm the right way to reach him, so he doesn’t.

Jaemin rubs his nose affectionately against Renjun’s neck, and the latter squirms, shoulder immediately going up to minimise the accessible surface area. When Jaemin whines, Renjun sighs and goes, “You know my neck is sensitive.”

Renjun makes to shift his body but feels Jaemin’s arms tighten around him, and sighs.

“Where are you going?” Jaemin asks, the whine in his tone apparent.

“Turning around so I can kiss you, idiot.”

“… Oh.” And at that, Jaemin promptly releases Renjun, allowing him to turn around so that they’re facing each other. Renjun is so close, Jaemin can see himself outlined in those pretty dark orbs, his figure flickering along with the flame of the candle. His arms immediately go to pull Renjun closer, and he sees Renjun’s eyes flutter shut before his own do – and their lips meet.

It’s slow and tender and graceful – Jaemin would liken it to a slow dance between their tongues, as if they’re moving together to the same music. Jaemin smiles into the kiss, just like how he always does – kissing Renjun makes him the happiest after all. Renjun’s hand goes up to tangle in Jaemin’s hair, tugging on the soft pink strands, so Jaemin moves his hand to caress Renjun’s face, skin smooth and warm beneath his palm. Renjun tastes like jasmine tea – light and mild, but intoxicating nonetheless – and Jaemin grins even wider, feeling the heat of Renjun’s mouth against his own. It sends little sparks skittering down his spine, and when Renjun pulls him even closer so that he can hear his heartbeat, Jaemin can feel himself fall a little more in love.

“You were smiling,” is what Renjun says to him when they break apart. He’s smiling too, the right side of his mouth lifted upwards in the lopsided way that Jaemin’s grown to love.

“Kissing you makes me happy,” Jaemin answers, stroking his thumb in circles on Renjun’s cheek. Renjun averts his eyes, because the way Jaemin is staring at him is so intense, as if everything else around them has melted away and Renjun is the only thing he’s ever known. The sentence that follows makes Renjun’s grin grow even wider.

“ _You_ make me happy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hhhhh i wrote this while on the plane so pardon me for any errors, this was written in response to a prompt on cc! i'm sorry i didn't bring out jaemin smiling while he kisses as strongly as i wanted - i'm not really sure how to do that tbh aaa but still i hope you like it anon! 
> 
> p.s. please leave a comment if you enjoyed it, i'd really appreciate it <3


	8. salty and sweet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaemin cooks for Renjun, and Jisung is the victim.

The dorm is quiet today, with Jeno and Chenle gone, a long day of filming for the Idol Star Athletics Championships ahead of them. Jisung is slouched on his bed, leaning against the headboard with his eyes glued to the phone screen, tapping vigorously. He’s still playing the soccer game that he’s been addicted to for the past few weeks. Chenle had beat his high score a few days ago, and proceeded to rub it in his face every chance he got, laughing maniacally as he waved his phone around, showing everyone the screenshot of the leaderboard. And Jisung, of course, couldn’t take such insult without a fight. So he’s been focused on trying to break Chenle’s high score, unfortunately without much success thus far.

A piercing yell breaks the silence and Jisung jolts upright, his right earbud falling out of his ear. What the hell is up with his hyungs this time?

He pads over to the kitchen and is greeted by the sight of Renjun gesticulating wildly at Jaemin, who has his arms folded defensively across his chest. Out of the corner of his eye, Renjun notices the youngest and beckons him over with a hand.

“Jisung-ah, come try this and tell me if it isn’t the saltiest thing you’ve ever tasted,” Renjun instructs, all while making a face. Jisung glances in suspicion at the spoon offered to him, with rice coated in a black sauce.

“How does it look?” Jaemin asks, in an attempt to win Jisung over to his side.

“Very questionable and not at all edible,” is Jisung’s response.

“It’s not even that salty! Injun’s just being dramatic,” Jaemin scoffs and rolls his eyes.

“I had to drink an entire glass of water after eating this!” Renjun retorts, voice rising.

“Okay, okay, I’ll try it,” Jisung says, having to speak louder than usual to be heard over Renjun and Jaemin’s bickering. They both stop and turn to face Jisung, waiting expectantly as he puts the spoon in his mouth. Jisung chews slowly for a few moments before the saltiness hits him, like he’s just swallowed a mouthful of seawater and it’s burning in his throat, and he runs to spit it out in the sink.

Renjun already has a glass of water in his hand extended in Jisung’s direction, and Jisung grabs it without hesitation, gulping it down as quickly as he can. Renjun glares daggers accusingly in Jaemin’s direction, and when Jisung finishes the glass, he sees Jaemin’s countenance soften – perhaps he’s starting to feel a bit sheepish.

“Okay, maybe it is a bit salty,” Jaemin accedes in a small voice.

“A bit is an understatement,” Renjun thunders, “I thought I’d swallowed a whole spoonful of salt!” Jisung takes it as his cue to leave, not wanting to get further embroiled in the midst of Renjun and Jaemin’s argument, which show no signs of stopping.

“I was a bit careless with the amount of soy sauce.” Jaemin’s dragging out his vowels again, voice coming out higher and whinier, and Jisung knows that he’s trying to pacify Renjun. He doesn’t count much on it succeeding though – Jaemin’s aegyo never really worked on Renjun.

“When I asked you to give me some love, I didn’t mean that you should kill me!”

“Fine, I’ll give you some love then,” Jisung hears Jaemin say. The dorm quietens down almost instantly and Jisung, in a moment of curiosity, turns his head to see what happened – then immediately regrets his decision.

He catches a glimpse of Jaemin and Renjun standing dangerously close to each other, Jaemin’s hand holding onto the back of Renjun’s head, while Renjun makes no move to escape. Thankfully, from Jisung’s angle, that’s all that he sees – he turns away right before they close the distance and buries his head in his hands.

Jisung groans and runs back to his room, cursing his bad luck. He just wishes Chenle was back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first of all i'm rly sorry to the anon who left this prompt on cc about a month ago that it took so long for me to do something about it ;; nonetheless i hope this makes up for it! if you like it, please do leave a comment hhhh, i really appreciate it <3


	9. it's hyung's birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeno receives an unexpected birthday present from Chenle.

A knock on Jeno’s door as he’s playing a game makes him look up from his phone and he sees Chenle standing in the open doorway, holding a very nice box of what looks like chocolates. The younger stumbles into the room when Jeno meets his gaze, and half-skips over to his side. Jeno can’t help how his own cheeks rise and his eyes crescent (which is what happens practically all the time when he’s around Chenle anyway).

“Hyung, this is for you,” Chenle says timidly, head bowed as he passes the box to Jeno, whose smile widens. “Happy birthday!”

“Thank you Chenle-yah,” Jeno takes the box and scrutinises it, turning it over and over in his hands. It’s a pretty ocean blue colour, tied with a red ribbon. Jeno fumbles a bit with the ribbon but manages to untie it, then slowly slides the tray out from its outer packaging while Chenle watches in silent anticipation. 

“Ah… it’s not chocolate?” Jeno asks, confusion crossing his features as he stares, dumbfounded, at the packets of snacks within. There are a variety – tteokbeokki crackers, kimchi-flavoured seaweed, honey butter chips, among all sorts of others – Chenle must’ve ransacked every shelf of the convenience store near their dorm. Then Jeno spots a few snacks he has never seen before – judging from the Chinese characters on the packaging, they must be snacks Chenle’s aunt brought from China the last time she visited him.

“No hyung they’re really tasty snacks! I’m not sure if you’ve eaten them before but I got a few different kinds for you because I didn’t know which you’d like…” Chenle trails off, twisting his fingers in his hands nervously. He’s stuttering a bit, struggling to put his thoughts across in broken Korean, all the phrases he knows eluding him. Suddenly he really wishes Renjun was here to help him translate, but he’s not and it’s just him and Jeno, in his room that suddenly feels a little too small.

Before debut, Chenle had always been a little intimidated by Jeno, finding him rather cold and distant. Though now Chenle knows that it’s mostly due to the way Jeno looks when he doesn’t smile, he’d be lying if he said he’d completely gotten over the perception of Jeno he used to have.

“Do you not like it?” Chenle suddenly asks, getting anxious at the lack of response. Regret slowly seeps into his mind – what was he thinking, he should’ve asked Jeno what he liked first before assuming things and getting snacks for him, for god’s sake, Jeno’s probably scoffing in his mind at Chenle’s childishness…

“No! I do, I do.” Jeno hurries to assuage Chenle’s fears, putting a hand on his shoulder. “It’s just,” he pauses, turning the box from back to front again. “I’m a little confused why you put them in a chocolate box.”

“Oh,” Chenle relaxes, the breath he didn’t know he’d been holding making its escape. He scratches the back of his neck as he laughs, a tad sheepishly. “I wanted to make it prettier.”

“You wanted to make it prettier?” Jeno repeats, drawing his brows together as if they’re magnets.

“Yes, I wanted to make it prettier,” Chenle says again, slowly this time, thinking Jeno hadn’t understood him the first time.

Jeno chuckles, eyes crinkling in that familiar way of his and Chenle relaxes, the tightness in his shoulders gone. “I get it. But what for?” Jeno asks again.

Chenle doesn’t seem to understand his question, and tilts his head quizzically. “For hyung… It’s hyung’s birthday.”

Jeno just stares and stares at Chenle, who evenly returns his gaze, a small smile on his face. For some odd reason, he feels his eyes water, and tries to blink the tears away.

“Come here, Chenle-yah,” he beckons, praying that Chenle doesn’t notice the way his voice cracks. When Chenle steps forward, Jeno pulls him into a hug, almost knocking the wind out of the younger.

“Thank you so much,” he whispers, bringing a hand up to gently muss the mop of hair on Chenle’s head.

Jeno can hear the surprise and confusion in Chenle’s voice when he replies, “You’re welcome, Jeno-hyung.”

And he can’t help but laugh at the younger’s innocence, feeling his heart grow ten times in size.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> basically in 2017 during jeno's birthday fan party chenle said he gave jeno tasty snacks, and jeno said they came in the packaging for chocolates so he thought they were chocolates but they weren't... and he said chenle told him he wanted to make it prettier! gosh the jenle feels hit me hard and fast with this one, chenle is so precious ;; another hyung-dongsaeng fic since a lot of you did like the jaemle one previously, i hope you'll like this one too :) please leave me a comment if you did! <3
> 
> p.s. fun fact i had to create a new tag for this since apparently noone else used lee jeno & zhong chenle before... i feel so honoured whoa


	10. orange juice: the tragicomedy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a reason why Jaemin and Chenle don't sit together on planes.

Chenle doesn’t plan to be sitting next to Jaemin on their 14-hour flight to Paris, but here he is, half-listening to Jaemin ramble on about something that happened at the dorms the other day, half-trying to open the bottle of orange juice that he’d requested earlier from a kindly flight attendant.

He had planned on sitting next to Jisung and napping on the plane, maybe watching some of Stephen Curry’s highlights with him when they’re bored, but in their van on the way to the airport, Jisung announced to everyone that he wanted to sit alone. See, this was a problem for Chenle, because now he had no seatmate.

“Sit with me later, Chenle-yah,” he heard a low voice whisper next to him as soon as they alighted the vehicle, and he turned so fast he almost snapped his neck, only to see Jaemin smiling at him with an earnest look in his eyes. Chenle quirked an eyebrow in puzzlement. They’d never sat together on a flight. Ever.

“Why?” Chenle asked, blinking once, twice, hoping that Jaemin hadn’t caught the cautiousness in his voice. Not that Chenle minded sitting with Jaemin, but he just found it a tad strange. Knowing Jaemin usually sat with Renjun or Jeno on flights, he was bewildered as to why he asked to sit with him this time.

Jaemin made a show of looking around covertly, checking that the rest of the members were out of earshot, before leaning closer towards him. “Jisung wants to sit alone and I don’t want to sit with the no-fun team because they’re so boring… let’s have lots of fun together, okay?” he whispered conspiratorially, practically beaming at Chenle with his lips stretched wide.

Chenle chuckled and shrugged a shoulder, already walking away as the manager beckoned them forward, through the airport. “Sure, hyung.”

 

 

“Chenle-yah!” Jaemin suddenly calls his name, snapping him out of his reverie.

“Huh?”

_Splash._

The distinctive sound of a liquid hitting a solid surface.

Almost instantaneously, everyone in the plane hears Jaemin yell “Zhong Chenlei!!!!!!!!!” at the top of his lungs. Turns out, Chenle is tragically bad at multi-tasking. The stream of orange juice he was pouring diverted its trajectory and its destination shifted from the glass to the pristine white fabric that was Jaemin’s pants, which Jaemin is currently staring at in horror.

Chenle, too, stares and stares and stares some more, eyes as wide as saucers as he surveys the damage caused. The orange juice has landed in a… somewhat unsightly spot near the groin, staining it a dark orange colour, and the patch is almost the same size as his hand. Laughter bubbles up out of him almost immediately afterwards, until he’s consumed by it, until he’s doubled over and trying his best to breathe while clapping in a sloppy fashion.

“Oh my god! Hyung you look like you peed your pants!” Chenle yells. The look Jaemin gives him afterwards, if intended to make him shut up, simply serves the opposite purpose. Chenle’s practically dying of laughter at this point.

“… Now I remember why I never sit next to you on planes,” Jaemin harrumphs, reaching for some tissue to wipe his pants as best as he can. While the damage can’t be undone, it can be controlled, and Jaemin sets about rubbing the piece of tissue over the stain very aggressively.

“Well, you did say you wanted us to have fun together,” Chenle chokes out, in between chuckles. The stain has dried up yet is still ugly as ever, and now that Jaemin looks at it, it really looks quite like pee. Without an extra pair of pants on hand, Jaemin settles for the next best option: placing his jacket on his lap to cover the unsightly stain, all while attempting to rein in his burning desire to throttle Chenle.

Not long after, MC Ari announces that he’d like to take photos to be uploaded onto social media for the fans, and so Jaemin and Chenle smile briefly for the cameras, grudge momentarily forgotten. Jaemin ends up copying Chenle’s V-sign, which results in Chenle dissing his lack of creativity.

“I didn’t copy you! It was just a coincidence!” Jaemin dismisses Chenle’s claims, frowning in disdain at the boy.

“Yeah, right, just like how it was a coincidence that you got an Apple watch after me huh?” Chenle goads, folding his arms. “I’m a trendsetter, just admit it.”

“You wish,” Jaemin mutters. “You’re so annoying. Let me pour some orange juice on you too and see how you talk.”

“Says you? Who’s the one who keeps calling my name and telling me lame jokes?” Chenle side-eyes Jaemin. He’s supposed to be frowning but can’t keep up the act when Jaemin pulls the most ridiculous face, and bites his tongue to stop himself from falling into yet another laughing fit.

Upon seeing that, Jaemin clucks his tongue. “Zhong Chenlei! Zhong Chenlei! Zhong Chenlei!” Jaemin intentionally butchers his name multiple times until Chenle gives up.

“… What.”

“Nothing,” Jaemin smiles sweetly then turns away, busying himself with his phone before Chenle can think of anything to say in reply. Chenle huffs in exasperation and turns back, but catches a glimpse of the quirk of Jaemin’s lips.

“Childish,” Chenle sighs, shaking his head. Jaemin can deny it all he wants, but he’s without a doubt the most immature member in Dream.

The retort comes without hesitation. “Says the baby.”

“Jisung’s the baby.”

“… Right, that we can both agree on.”

“Mark’s the baby!” They hear Jisung yell, two aisles down.

Both of them glance at each other and the look of mutual understanding they share, just for the tiniest fraction of a second, is enough to make them burst into unprompted laughter.

 

 

The rest of the flight proceeds smoothly enough, despite the very early mishap. Chenle sleeps like a log throughout most of the flight, and Jaemin too manages to catch some winks, unsightly orange patch on his pants forgotten sooner rather than later.

Except the minute they step off the plane, Chenle hears Jeno’s laugh. Then Jisung’s. Then Renjun’s. He looks around in bewilderment and wonders what the fuss is all about, and sees Jaemin snickering along with them, purposefully avoiding his gaze.

Upon unlocking his phone, Chenle’s curiosity is solved – it’s a most unflattering photo of him in their group chat, taken from a bottom-up angle, with his puffy cheeks and nostrils on full display. Jaemin must’ve taken it while he was sleeping, the absolute devil. What’s worse is the way Jaemin doodled on the picture, adding an Italian-looking moustache and a number of moles on his originally pristine face.

“Yah! Jaemin-hyung!!!!!!” he shrieks.

“Zhong Chenlei!” Jaemin shouts back way too gleefully, ducking behind Jeno, who’s convulsing with laughter.

“You’re terrible!” Chenle runs over and whacks Jaemin hard on the arm before he can escape. He feels slightly better after hearing Jaemin yelp in pain.

“Well you spilled orange juice on my pants and so now we’re even.”

“… Remind me never to sit next to you on planes ever again.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> long long hiatus but i'm back!! the rise of jaemle 2k19 prompted this and so here it is in all its unpolished glory >__< i know it's rly Not Very Good but i just had to write something to get back into the habit again... i hope my future writing will improve once i write more regularly! hope this made you laugh <3 thank you for reading ^^
> 
> twt: jaemrenle  
> cc: jaeminsrenjun


	11. a little piece of infinity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A snapshot of Chenle and Jisung in LA.

Chenle likes taking pictures. He’s the one with thousands and thousands of pictures in his camera roll, with shots of his members in various unglamorous states and photographs of pretty scenery in fairly equal amounts.

Memories are ephemeral, fleeting. But pictures circumvent the transience of time and enable him to store the memories away, to be looked at and reminisced about when he so desires, some time in the distant future.

They’re on the roof of a warehouse building in Los Angeles, filming for their music video, Go. The hyungs are on the other side of the roof, shooting their individual scenes, and Chenle and Jisung choose to stay on this side of the roof, hidden from view, as they wait for the director to call for them.

Rolling cirrus clouds graze the very bottom of the gradually darkening sky. The bright blue a few minutes ago has dulled into a hue less striking – albeit nonetheless spectacular. The edge of the horizon, dyed a brilliant red by the fiery sun, stretches out before him. In the distance, buildings and telephone cables are in view, jutting into the skyline.

“The sky is so pretty, isn’t it!” Chenle says to Jisung, who’s standing a heartbeat away, admiring the view.

“Yeah,” Jisung agrees, cheekbones lifting upwards into a smile when he turns to look at Chenle. It’s little moments like these that Chenle wants as keepsakes to cherish forever.

“I’m so glad we got to come all the way here,” Chenle muses. He’s still just beginning to wrap his head around the reality that they got to travel for this comeback.

America is big. Different. It seems to Chenle that the sounds are a lot more vivid, and the people a lot more carefree. Mark had remarked teasingly about how in awe Chenle was about everything, as if he’d never seen cars before, nor signboards, to which Chenle just shrugged, defiant in his silence.

“Me too,” Jisung replies, a hint of wistfulness in his tone. “I’m not ready to go back yet.”

They leave tomorrow. Chenle’s already started packing his things, but no amount of complaining on his part will make Jisung do the same – Chenle’s resigned to the fact that he’ll end up having to help Jisung pack tonight.

“You up for ramyeon later?” Chenle had brought a couple of packs from their dorm, as insurance against the risk of food in LA not satisfying his taste buds. In retrospect, he needn’t have, considering how well he took to burgers and fries, but there’s no harm in indulging in a little supper after a long day.

Jisung’s eyes crescent prettily in response, and Chenle knows the answer.

“Jisung! It’s your turn!” The director calls for him, and Jisung answers. He flashes a wry smile at Chenle before starting to walk up the slanted roof – his long, lanky limbs moving in a weird sort of rhythm as Chenle watches him.

Jisung walks with an awkward grace. He’s a dancer, so he probably has better control over his movements than anyone, yet it’s strange to Chenle that when he walks, his limbs seem to move of their own volition. Chenle simply cannot fathom the contradiction.

Maybe that’s why Jisung’s the dancer and he isn’t.

Jisung’s strides are wide; he’s almost at the peak of the roof now. On the other side, Jeno and Jaemin raise their heads to look at him. Chenle hears Mark’s voice in the distance, reminding Jisung to be careful.

Chenle decides to take a picture. He raises his phone, framing the moment, waiting patiently for the perfect time to capture it.

And when he sees Jisung standing there, mid-stride, against the backdrop of the most beautiful sunset, his dark silhouette juxtaposing with the rich tapestry of colours that surround him, Chenle feels his heart is in his throat, suspended on a delicate thread.

 _Click._ He presses the shutter, preserving for himself a little piece of infinity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello!! this was inspired by [this picture of jisung](https://twitter.com/NCTsmtown/status/976768884085686272?s=20) that chenle posted a year ago. 
> 
> it's been a while and my writing is a little rusty but i hope you enjoyed this! please leave a comment if you do <3


End file.
